Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a mattress support for being interposed between an underlying box spring and overlying mattress, and more specifically to a portable under mattress support uniquely constructed to incorporate spaced-apart resilient slats interconnected by strips, for use to restore the support integrity to one or more sagging or otherwise softer well-used areas of a mattress.
Description of Related Art
Over periods of extended use, conventional mattresses tend to develop areas of sag that may develop a concave center or side area, or become too soft, greatly reducing body support and sleeping comfort. In some cases, the degree of sagging is so great that a new mattress must be purchased. In other cases, while the mattress may not be considered unusable it is uncomfortable and often leads to body aches due to lack of adequate support of the body in a preferred sleeping posture. It would be desirable to have a device that could extend the useful life and support of such a mattress, since discarding such a used mattress and purchasing a replacement mattress is often very costly. However, a crucial feature of such an under mattress support is that it adequately resolves such sagging and soft areas of the mattress without simultaneously creating a stiffer less comfortable overall mattress feel to an individual lying on the mattress.
Solutions to this issue have been attempted. However, conventional solutions have proven unsatisfactory for a variety of reasons. One attempted solution involves inserting rigid sheets, or panels, of plywood, or hard and rigid slats constructed from plastic, fiberglass, metal, wood and the like, between the box spring and the overlying mattress. Again, it has been well established that such use of rigid support structures, whether in the form of panels, slats and the like, creates an unnaturally stiff or rigid mattress feel that is uncomfortable to rest or sleep on, which is a significant drawback associated with these common approaches to the problem, and any related approaches that introduce rigid under mattress support structures. A slight variation of this approach is an individually adjustable bottom for beds, which includes the use of a pad having pockets for receiving rigid steel or fiberglass rods or stays. Again, this type of device suffers from the same disadvantages; that is, an overly rigid uncomfortable mattress support.
Another commercially available type of apparatus apparently designed to address the same problem incorporates the use of a multiple chamber air support system to provide lift to a sagging mattress. This approach has resulted in very limited support by individual air-filled chambers, which has proven to be inadequate for lifting and restoring a sagging mattress to a comfortable disposition. That is, these air chambers tend to displace, or shift the air from beneath the individual, due to the force applied by the body, to a location alongside the individual, while also creating an undesirable hardened bulge and requiring ongoing maintenance. Still other existing devices utilize flat, plastic interlocking pieces. Some devices include foldable cardboard pieces, and some devices sit atop a mattress and are made of steel rods or other hard and rigid materials, which do not provide a comfortable support for at least the foregoing reasons.
Other approaches have attempted to provide a less rigid under mattress structure intended to be inserted between a box spring and mattress immediately prior to initial use of the bed, in lieu of more rigid sheets and slats, for the purpose of providing the firm support of, for example, a plywood sheet, yet with controlled yieldability in order to give the desired degree of firmness for supporting a reclining body. However, such bed board structures (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 2,847,685 to Freedlander) are not designed in a manner that successfully resolves existing areas of mattress sag or soft spots. Instead, they are constructed in the form of a unitary, or one-piece, uniformly thick contiguous panel, rather than a series of spaced-apart slats. As such, they do not enable displacement of the overlying mattress surface to restore the original configuration and to uplift a sagging mattress, especially where the mattress has a central or side concave area caused by extended use. This is a result of the lack of any structural features of the contiguous panel to enable expansion or contraction of the panel laterally or longitudinally. Some known structures incorporate individual spaced-apart slats; however, they incorporate a rigid ribbed construction. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,908,887 to Shaw, Jr. incorporates a flat rigid core sandwiched between a lightweight and insulating cushion material. As clearly stated in '887 patent, the rigid cores in the ribs are necessary to prevent an overlying mat from bending except at the flexible material hinge adjoining the ribs. Such a structure, which is specifically designed to rest upon a hard ground surface for supporting an individual, requires a rigid layer sandwiched between the outer cushioned layers due to its intended application, rendering it completely ineffective and useless as an under mattress support for the present application. Likewise, U.S. Pat. No. 2,638,606 to Austin relates to a relatively complex and cumbersome bed bottom incorporating a slatted mattress support. However, the support incorporates numerous features that render it useless for the intended purpose of the present under mattress support, including the incorporation of rigid slats running longitudinally (i.e., from the top end to the bottom end of the bed). As clearly stated in the '606 patent, the slats must be constructed of wood, steel, rattan, plastic, aluminum or some other rigid material in order to provide a relatively level base for the overlying mattress without permitting enough sag in the longitudinal direction to throw the occupant's back out of line.
Other approaches have focused on integrating complex and cumbersome multiple component systems into the original bed design aimed at, among other things, preventing material deformation and fatigue of a supported mattress. However, significantly, they are not portable under mattress supports. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,644,596 to Husler is directed to a cumbersome multi-component assembly comprising a permanent structural support, primarily constructed from a variety of complex individual interacting rigid structural elements, for an overlying mattress, and therefore used in lieu of a conventional box spring. Accordingly, such structures do not function as a portable under mattress support, since they are an integral subassembly of a larger overall mattress support structure.
Other structures are known that incorporate individual spaced-apart interconnected panels of resilient material for entirely unrelated applications. However, as a result of their different intended usages they lack significant features, rendering them inadequate and wholly ineffective for application as an under mattress support. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,066,001 to Wilkinson teaches a portable, foldable, adjustable aerobic bench/step/mat including individual panels secured by flexible hinges. However, due to the requirement that the structure be adapted to be converted between a flat exercise mat, a bench and an aerobic step, the design of the hinges, the spacing that the hinges create between adjacent panels, and the relative gap created by the hinges vis-à-vis the size of the adjoined panels must be such that they enable adjacent panels to be precisely stacked upon one another to increase the height for converting the apparatus from a flat mat to a stacked step or bench. As a result, the required structure hinders the ability to roll up the panels into a rolled form for packaging, storage and the like. Furthermore, the structure of the hinges is specifically designed to prevent displacement of adjacent hinges with respect to one another and, therefore, prevent freedom of movement of adjoined panels with respect to one another. Therefore, the '001 patent and similar structures specifically prevent displacement of adjacent panels (i.e., preventing any degree of freedom to move toward or away from one another) which is a crucial feature of the under mattress support of the present invention.
Significantly, the problem being addressed herein is not one of providing an orthopedic or other medical-related solution for people with extreme back issues by over-supporting or hardening the mattress surface. To the contrary, the invention described herein is specifically designed, configured and adapted to enhance existing softer and sagging regions of a well-used mattress so that the mattress continues to provide comfort and support for typical individuals while sleeping, and at the same time extends the useful life of the current mattress by restoring the mattress to its original shape and comfort.
With the use of the under mattress support described herein, the use and wear of any mattress can be extended to continue to provide comfort and support for one or more individuals while sleeping, and reducing the expense associated with purchasing a replacement mattress due to sagging or concave pockets and deformities due to extended use. The under mattress support described herein is positioned under a mattress and on top of its accompanying box spring or similar mattress support. That is, the under mattress is positioned interposed between the box spring and mattress. Furthermore, the under mattress support of the present invention is constructed to provide the flexibility to either stack the slat (or encased slat) portions or to roll up the apparatus to facilitate packaging options for sale and storage.